So Mote It Be.
Tag: Halitosis
Daily Feng Shui News for Aug. 6 – 'National Fresh Breath Day'
If you’re certain that your occasional bad breath is not caused by digestive difficulties, gum disease or any other chronic conditions, then take advantage of today’s ‘National Fresh Breath Day’ tips from the world of all-natural medicine. Immerse two sprigs of fresh parsley in white vinegar and chew it in order to sweeten what comes out of your mouth. Or you can mix two drops of peppermint essential oil in a glass of warm water and swish, but never swallow. After you spit out the first mouthful take another one and gargle and then spit it out too. Do this until the glass is empty. With all this beautiful breath going on you might now look at life as half-full — like a glass, that is!
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
Naming Your Poppet Magick
Name Your Poppet Magick
First you will need to form a bond between the person and the doll. Use this simple naming ritual:
“Little one, I made you and now I give you life I name you (person’s name) Her body is your body Her breath is your breath Her passion is your passion Her blood is your blood Though separate you were Now you are one.”Meditation to Meet Your Air Guide
Meditation to Meet Your Air Guide
Create a simple altar with a yellow cloth, a blue candle, and an air type of incense. (Lavender, or mint work very well.) You may wish to place feathers or a bell on the altar. Cast your personal circle. Take several deep, cleansing breaths. Close your eyes. Visualize the elemental gateway to the realm of air. Make the gate as elaborate as you wish. How does the gate open? Relax and focus on your breath. See the gate open, and walk through it. Before you is a pathway woven together out of fluffy white clouds. Begin to walk down the path. Take a few moments to observe the world around you. You can see clear skies to your right; they are a beautiful crystal blue. To your left you can see rumbling storm clouds in the distance, and lightning flashes inside of them. Continue on your way. In the distance you see a figure inside of them. Continue on your way. In the distance you see a figure. It is your guide for the elemental realm of air. Walk to him. Focus on your breath. Greet your guide and listen to what he has to say. When you have heard all you wish, thank your guide. Begin to walk back to the gateway. Focus on your breath. Walk through the gateway and see it close. Take a few deep breaths and then open your eyes. Write down what you learned in your journal, and close your personal circle.
Feng Shui Tip for Aug. 6 – ‘National Fresh Breath Day’
On ‘National Fresh Breath Day’ I’d like to offer some holistic halitosis remedies that could be the breath of fresh air that you (and everyone around you) could use. I could share the standard ‘brush the back of your tongue’ to scrape bacteria away. Or I could start with the old ‘floss and brush after every meal’ advice. Instead, I’d like to address alternative ways to freshen the breath. If you need to make onion and garlic smells disappear, than sprinkle a teaspoon of kosher salt on the top of a half of a lemon and you’ll smell citrusy fresh. But don’t make that a habit because the citric acid can erode tooth enamel. You can also chew on a clove or eat some anise seeds for two time-tested and refreshing remedies. Then there’s my personal fave for fighting morning breath. At bedtime, let a tiny piece of myrrh dissolve in your mouth. Not only is this an oral antiseptic, it can also keep bacteria at bay and lets you wake up with a ready-to-rock kisser! Finally, eating an apple will kill coffee breath and keep the doctor away at the same time!
Daily OM for June 19th – Beyond Reacting
Remembering to Pause
Remembering to pause and take a breath before we react can shift the energy of the outcome.
We have all had the experience of reacting in a way that was less than ideal upon hearing bad news, or being unfairly criticized, or being told something we did not want to hear. This makes sense because when our emotions are triggered, they tend to take center stage, inhibiting our ability to pause before we speak. We may feel compelled to release the tension by expressing ourselves in some way, whether it’s yelling back at the person yelling at us, or rushing to deliver words of comfort to a friend in trouble. However, there is much to be said for teaching ourselves to remember to pause and take a deep breath before we respond to the shocks and insults that can come our way in life.
For one thing, our initial response is not always what’s best for us, or for the other people involved. Reacting to childish rage with childish rage will only escalate the negativity in a situation, further ensnaring us in an undesirable dynamic. Similarly, when we react defensively, or simply thoughtlessly, we often end up feeling regret over our words or actions. In the end, we save ourselves a lot of pain when we take a deep breath and really tune in to ourselves, and the other person, before we respond. This doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t say anything, although in some cases, that may be the best option.
Some situations require a fairly immediate response, but even just a moment of grounding ourselves before we do so can help enormously. The next time you find yourself wanting to react, try to pause, and in that pause, take a deep breath. Feel your feet on the floor, the air on your skin, and listen for a response to arise within you, rather than just going with the first thing that pops into your head. You may find that in that moment, there is the potential to move beyond reaction and into the more subtle and creative realm of response, where something new can happen.
7 Ways to Deal With Smelly Pets
7 Ways to Deal With Smelly Pets
- Nicolas, selected from petMD
By Patricia Khuly, DVM, PetMD
Got a pet who’s conditioned you to believe that his loving presence is worth all his foul odors? If your pet smells nasty then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about (though some of you may be in denial). Everyone else thinks he stinks and stays away. But you? You love him, aroma and all.
Nonetheless, there is something you can do about her chronic malodor, especially if she falls into one of the following categories of stinkiness. Read up on the concern and, for best results internalize their listed solutions!
1. The Skin Sufferers
If the surface of your pet’s skin’s smell is reminiscent of rotting fruit, something freshly dug up from deep underground, or just plain dogginess, you’ll know what I mean.
Solution: Whether this happens year-round or is limited to certain seasons, pets with certain skin conditions such as allergic skin disease and keratinization disorders (characterized by greasy and/or flaky skin), treatment of the underlying disease is generally effective in reducing or eliminating the odors associated with skin infections that accompany it.
Medicated shampoos and antibiotic and/or anti-fungal treatments are often necessary, at least at first and/or periodically, to tamp down the offending bacteria and/or yeast.
2. The Wildlife Devotees
These are the pets that stop, drop and roll at the sights and smells of a rotting carcass or raccoon feces (the foulest smelling scat on the planet). Maybe she’s a chronic stray cat poop consumer (like my Sophie), or a skunk tracking wonder-dog.
Solution: Restriction of a pet’s yard-based or hiking activities is usually not advisable. They need an outlet for their natural drives––and the exercise, of course. Picking up scat in your yard is helpful, as is special fencing to reduce encroachment by certain wildlife species (if you must).
Alternatively and/or additionally, treating the resulting foul odors can be achieved through an excellent, freshly brewed mix of hydrogen peroxide (1 quart), baking soda (1/3 cup) and a dash of a grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn (my favorite).
3. The Gaseous Ones
You know who you are.
Solution: Determining whether your pet has a condition such as intestinal parasitism, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) or a pancreatic malfunction (as in EPI or “exocrine pancreatic insufficiency”) is crucial. But most pets who suffer excessive flatulence are merely exhibiting a mild intolerance to one or more ingredients in their diets.
Treatment of the primary dysfunction depends on the disease process, of course, but for those who suffer simple digestive intolerance may be helped either with pro-biotic supplements or through a process of trial and error with respect to diet choices. Carefully switching diets with varying ingredients until a minimum of flatulence is achieved is often fruitful in this regard.
4. The Bad-Breath Breakfast Club
Oral breath, usually secondary to periodontal disease, can lay low a whole crowd of dinner party guests who might otherwise truly enjoy your pet––and their meal.
Solution: Regular brushing (at least twice a week, but daily for some pets) and routine anesthetic dentistry (as often as every few months for severe sufferers) is the mainstay of bad breath resolution.
But some pets just have bad breath that arises chronically from their mouths and/or stomach gases––not necessarily from their teeth. These latter pets may be helped by adjusting the ingredients in their food and possibly by adding parsley to their diet (available in capsules). “Fresh breath” water supplements are not helpful, in my opinion, but some pet owners beg to differ.
5. The Anal Gland Leakers
The two anal glands, found on either side of the anus in dogs and cats occasionally have the propensity to fill up and spill out when over-full. The characteristic stench is perhaps the nastiest odor pets are capable of emitting.
Solution: Getting this under control is usually achieved by expressing the anal glands manually on a regular basis. Veterinarians and experienced groomers are best suited to this task, though many of my owners are willing to learn and manage quite well on their own.
A hydrogen peroxide wipe to the backside is very helpful once the odor becomes apparent.
6. The Otic Stink-Bombs
Ear infections are almost always skin infections. But their specific challenges mean very specific odors distinct from that of the rest of the skin. A fruity-smelling yeast infection that may or may not progress to a stinking bacterial infection is the usual finding.
Solution: Allergic skin disease is the primary cause of external ear infections in both cats and dogs. Infections can be dealt with by treating the underlying condition. Antibiotics and anti-fungals are used to tackle the infection––and the stink––but it will return (I promise), sometimes even after treating the allergy. After all, not every allergy is 100% treatable.
Cleaning the ears regularly with a mild disinfectant solution is always advisable.
7. The Wet Dog Crowd
Does your dog spend his life in the pool? Here in Miami that’s not uncommon––especially with Labs. Problem is, that also means wet dog smell that chronically lingers.
Solution: Keep your outdoor dog indoors, fence off the pool or invest in a proper canine blow-drier. Additionally, I recommend that you “Furminate”your dog daily to relieve her of some of the undercoat that traps moisture.
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Witches Of The Craft® 
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